Improvement the brittle Resistance of High-Strength Concrete through Palm Leaf Sheath Fibers and Rice Straw Fibers

<title>Abstract</title> The use of natural fiber waste presents a potential solution to address both environmental problems associated with agricultural waste and the issue of sudden failure in high-strength concrete (HSC). In this research, the effects of incorporating two fiber waste in HSC was investigated. Seven HSC mixes were prepared, including three with Rice Straw Fibers (RSF), three with palm leaf sheath fiber (PLSF), and one control mix without fibers. The volume fractions of the RSF and PLSF used in this research ranged from 1–3%, with an aspect ratio of 100. Several tests were conducted to evaluate the different properties of the HSC this including slump test, compressive strength, tensile strength, flexural strength, and modulus of elasticity, were evaluated all mixtures. Results indicated that the addition of natural fiber did not significantly enhanced the compressive strength, while, the tensile and flexural strength of HSC increased, particularly when incorporating 1% RSF. RSF exhibited a more significant improvement in the properties of HSC when compared to PLSF. However, both types of fibers were effective in strengthening the HSC's brittleness behaviour.